Avondale Branch, The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Cincinnati, Ohio
Posted by: Groundspeak Premium Member boatchick
N 39° 08.795 W 084° 29.355
16S E 716975 N 4336045
With a Carnegie grant of $280,000, the Cincinnati Public Library built 9 neighborhood branches. Seven of them, including Avondale, are still in use today.
Waymark Code: WM63QM
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 03/28/2009
Published By:Groundspeak Charter Member BruceS
Views: 3

Although earlier subscription services existed, the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County considers March 14, 1853 as their official birthday, and recently celebrated their sesquicentennial. Two downtown buildings have served as the main library, and the system today has 41 branch libraries. Carnegie funds financed 9 branches built between 1905 and 1915. Today, seven of the nine are still in use. The former Columbia-Tusculum branch is now in use as a community center, and the former West End branch was demolished in 1947.

The Avondale branch, like Price Hill, was designed by local architects Garber and Woodward; however, the two branches are very dissimilar in appearance. The white Spanish Colonial building with red tile roof is striking in its own right, but the ornate entrance is an eye-catcher. The entrance is decorated with intricately detailed Rookwood tile. Each side panel lists names of famous authors; above the door, the inscription reads “AVONDALE BRANCH LIBRARY”. Tucked in the corner between “branch” and “library” is a relief of a small book, which reads “Garber & Woodward Architects”, and the 1911 construction date is expressed at the bottom of the right side in Roman numerals. Overhead, the entrance is decorated with blue and buff tiles. All the Rookwood tiling is handmade. Inside, the building boasts a large rotunda over the circulation desk, a fireplace, and Flemish oak woodwork. Work was being done to maintain the entryway tiling on the day i visited.

References:
Armentrout, Mary Ellen. Carnegie Libraries of Ohio
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Avondale Branch
Carnegie Branches of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Library on flickr

Address of Library Building:
3566 Reading Road
Cincinnati, Ohio USA
45229


Current Use of Building: library

Year Built (optional): 1911

Website about building: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
To log a waymark in this category:

1. Please provide at least one photograph of the building. Additional photographs are encouraged.

2. Describe your experience.

No additional visit instructions will be added for individual waymarks. Additional instructions will result in waymark being declined.
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Carnegie Library Buildings
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.